Nighean Donn

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

NIGHEAN DONN (R5x32) 5C set Peter Hastings 1988 Dunedin Dances Book 2

1- 8 2s and 4s dance ½ Figs of 8 round end couples to face 1st corners, set to corners and set to 2nd corners
9-16 2s and 4s dance diagonal reels of 4 with 2nd corners, 2s and 4s end passing partner RSh to opposite sides
17-24 All Adv&Ret, top 4 Men's side cross diagonally RH with bottom 4 Ladies' side, top 4 Ladies' side cross diagonal LH with bottom 4 Men's side
25-32 Top 4 Men's side cross diagonally RH with bottom 4 Ladies' side, top 4 on Ladies' side cross diagonally LH with bottom 4 on Men's side and end with couples (with new partners) in 2nd and 4th places turning RH 1½ times to own sides
Ladies' side 5L,3L,4L,1L,2L
Men's side 4M,5M,2M,3M,1M

In stricter modern Gaelic it should be "Nighean Dhonn". "Nighean Donn" is pronounced as "Nee~n Doun" in English, with stress on the first syllable of "Nighean"; "Nighean Dhonn" and would be "Nee~n Dhoun" where:
"ee" is as in "beet";
"~" represents the very short, indeterminate, vowel sound;
"ou" is as in "loud"; and
"dh" is as a more guttural form of ch in "loch".
See Gaelic Dance Names for more information on Gaelic spelling and pronunciation.